


You're a mermaid? Merman?

by jensencanfricklemyfrackle



Series: Long oneshots (mix) [15]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Bucky finds Ursula to get legs, Bucky has scarred left arm, Bucky is Ariel, Bucky is Prince, F/M, Fantasy, Merman!Bucky, Mermen, Merpeople AU, Natasha and Steve are Bucky's bodyguards, Royalty!Bucky, Sass, Sexual Tension, human!reader, mermaid, mermaid!Natasha, merman!Steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 16:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15465684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jensencanfricklemyfrackle/pseuds/jensencanfricklemyfrackle
Summary: Y/n loved her little place by the lake that was fed by a stream from the ocean, and she swam in it every day, but she definitely did not expect to find a honest-to-God mermaid ( merman?) trapped in a net in the rock pools right on the side of the lake. And she did not expect that when she set him free, that he would come back, with friends. And she really did not expect to harbour a small crush on Bucky Barnes, Prince of the Ocean.





	1. What kind of name is Bucky?

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is built off a prompt that I wrote for my 'ONE SHOTS FOR ALL!" fic. I had also written a sequel and added it to the oneshot fic, and people liked it so they begged me to write more. So here I am, making an actual fic for it. Enjoy!

prompt: Merman!Bucky x Reader ( Bucky trapped in fishers net in cove or something)

 

Living by a large lake that was fed by the ocean had its benefits, such as the fresh breeze that was constantly blowing, as well as the amazing sea life that swam up the river and into the lake, unfortunately, some of the sea life was not quite so normal nor known.

When I moved to the cabin by the lake a year ago, I started a schedule of getting up early in the morning and going for a jog around the forest. And when I found that there was a short jetty that protruded into the water, I was delighted and incorporated the routine of swimming around in the lake with the fish and other creatures that I found there. There was even a couple of rock pools near the entrance of the river, hidden behind the jetty which was full of miniscule sea creatures and crustaceans.

So, one morning after I had gotten tired of swimming, I climbed out of the water and was wandering towards the rock pools when I saw a sudden movement in the corner of my eye, the flashing of dark blue scales. I froze, heartbeat quickening and I jumped when I saw more movement and a low groan of pain. At the sound of something – someone in pain, I leap forward and sprint towards the rock pools, my loose shorts and shirt that I wore after swimming sticking to my wet skin as I quickly made my way to the source of the pained cry and flashing scales.

“Hello?” I call out, and that’s when I hear something struggling again, something large and heavy slapping against the rocks. I dart forward again but I freeze when I finally see what was struggling against the rocks.

It was a mermaid.

Or, a merman, to be exact. Because it was definitely a man, with a fish’s tail replacing his legs. The tail was covered in shimmery dark blue scales, so dark that they were almost black, and the scales merge seamlessly into the skin of his stomach which was tanned, his abs, pecs and the rest of his body glistening with droplets of water. The next obvious thing apart from the tail was his left arm, which was scarred with what looked like the suckers on octopus arms, like a giant octopus had wrapped its arms around his, the touch scarring him.

And his face, it was beautiful. His jaw was angular, his lips plump and his eyes the colour of the stormy sea. His shoulder length dark hair was soaked with sea water, with what looked like a circlet of gold woven around the crown of his head.

Of course, I only noticed the tight netting that was wrapped around his torso and tail when he arched his back in frustration and hissed under his breath, his arms trapped to his sides.

“I – what?” I stare down at him and he bares his teeth at me as his eyes narrow in frustration and anger, his body trying to shift away from me and only making the rocks gouge into his skin for his troubles. “You’re a mermaid? Merman?”

The merman’s nose wrinkles in annoyance and his tail flexes and lifts up off the ground before slapping down again as his arms tense as he tries to break the netting.  
“You know, I could help you – “ I say hesitantly, and the merman eyes me carefully, raising an eyebrow at me. “You, uh – you can talk, right?”

He hesitates before he sighs and nods. “Yes, I can talk. And I am a merman, if you must know”

His voice was husky and gravelly, something that was attractive just like the rest of him. His whole body shifted in agitation and I quickly crouch next to him, running my hands lightly over the netting as I try to find the best way to untangle it. “So, how did you get stuck here?”

“Someone was fishing up river and left a fishing net behind” the merman sighed as he let his head fall back and he relaxed under my touch, apparently trusting me to help him. “It was high tide and I swim down the river to swim in the lake. There are lots of interesting creatures who tell the most amazing stories despite living in a lake, and I was so distracted to get here that I didn’t see the net. Then the high tide swept me up onto the rocks and stranded me here”

I listened silently to his story but then I let out a small huff of triumph when I found the single hook that was keeping the net tangled around him, and when I unhooked it, I peeled the net off of his torso and his arms were free. He instantly held himself up on his elbows and groaned in delight at the freedom as I then moved down and untangled the net from his tail and pulled it away, leaving his tail free. His tail flexed up and down as he tested the freedom and he finally gave me a smile, eyes gleaming with joy as he stretches and fully sits up, gaze straight on me.

“Well, would you mind helping me to the water? Having a tail is amazing but not quite so useful when on land” Bucky smirked as I blinked at him then dumbly stuck my hand out him. He simply raised an eyebrow at me and laughed, a beautiful sound like a bubbling stream and he took my hand, both of our efforts eventually getting him to the water. He dips his head under the water and pulls back to smile at me. “What is your name, Doll?”

“Uh – Y/n”

“Goodbye, Y/n”

He turns to swim away, his scales shimmering from under the water, but I yell after him. “Hey! What’s your name?”

He turns and smirks, pushing his hand though his hair so it’d stay out of his eyes.

“My name is Bucky” and with that, he turned and dived under water and swam away. I kept watch until the light reflected from his scales faded from view.

“What kind of a name is Bucky?”


	2. You came back!

prompt: I didn’t think I’d see him again, but three days later ….. ( Bucky pops up, bringing two buddies with him, Mermaid!Nat and Merman! Steve 

 

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see Bucky again, especially after getting caught in an abandoned net and stranded on the rocks for who knows how long, so I definitely did not expect to be yanked down under the water by a strong hand gripping my ankle.

I had been swimming in the lake in the morning like I always did, the slightly murky water hiding the bottom – my feet didn’t reach the bottom of any part of the lake that was more than five feet from the short – and I only saw three different ripples in the lake’s surface heading towards me before a hand wrapped around my ankle and tugs me down so I am fully submerged. I let out a strangled yelp before I’m fully submerged and I scrabble for my goggles the second I feel the pull, managing to get them on before my head is even fully submerged. I flail around as I open my eyes but I stiffen when I turn my head and my eyes lock with the vibrant green eyes of a woman who had flaming red hair, and when my eyes broke away from hers and trailed down her body, I saw that a strip of cloth was positioned over her breasts – the rest of her top half was naked – and a fish’s tail covered in bright green scales that matched her eyes.

I gaped at her, wide eyed, and her solemn look gets replaced with a toothy grin as a hand wraps around her upper arm and pulls her away, only for a golden haired, adonis-like man with bright blue eyes and a fish tail covered in scales that match his eyes to take her place. He smiled kindly at me and waved his hands in a somewhat awkward hello, and then he pointed down. I looked down, and my lips pull up into a closed smile when I see Bucky floating underneath me, a smirk on his plump lips as he waved at me, dark blue scales that were almost black twinkling in the dim light that filtered through the water, his hand still wrapped around my ankle.

I involuntarily let out a few bubbles of precious oxygen and at the sight of that, Bucky uses his tail to swim up through the water, hands landing on my hips and pulls me up so my head is above water, allowing me to breath. I gasp, breathing in deeply before I grin at Bucky who grinned back, hand coming up to slick his soaked hair back and out of his face.

“Bucky! You came back!”

“Of course he did!” The blond merman had surfaced along with the red head and spoke, a grin on his face as he slapped Bucky on the shoulder that wasn’t marred with scars, pulling him backwards as a result. “He wouldn’t stop talking about you, you know, yammering on about a pretty girl with two legs who saved him”

Bucky shrugged the blond’s hand of his shoulder and rolled his eyes, a soft blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Plus, we had to come see the girl that saved the Prince” the red head added, and I blink at her words, gaze going to the gold circlet woven into the hair around the crown of Bucky’s head, the gold circlet missing from both red head and blond.

“Uh – “ I start, but Bucky just shakes his head.

“I may be a Prince but I’m still a merman. These are my friends – “

“Bodyguards”

“Friends” Bucky finished firmly as he looked over his shoulder at the others, then back at me. 

“Y/n, this is Natasha” he gestures at the red head, who dips her head in greeting. “And that’s Steve” he points at Steve, who nods and smiles.

“We found Bucky here trying to sneak out. We caught him and got him to tell us where he was headed. When we found out he wanted to visit his ‘Saviour’, we decided to tag along. For protection, of course” Natasha smirks, and Bucky flushes again.

“I’m being babysat” Bucky whined, and I snickered which made him pout at me. Then, a mischievous smiles appeared on his face as he dove back under the water, Steve and Natasha grinning at each other, then me as they dive under the water, following Bucky. I spin around in the water, looking down into the water in an effort see anyone. When I only saw flashes of red, bright blue and blue/black scales, I took in a deep breath, held it and dove under the water as well. The moment my head went under water, I saw Bucky, Natasha and Steve swimming around me in circles, hair streaming behind them at the speed they were swimming. And then I saw Bucky raise his fingers to his lips and he whistled, which sent a ripple through the water. A moment passed, and the water seemed to suddenly teem with life, fishes and other manners of sea life swimming around all around us. I grin in amazing as I hold out my hand and a small fish weaves its way through my fingers. I was so interested in the fish that I only noticed Bucky had moved closer when I looked up and saw him hovering in front of me in the water. He smiled and held out his hand to me. I watch him for a moment before reaching out and taking it. His hand was warm around mine but I was quickly running out of oxygen so I quickly pointed up at the lake surface. He nods and draws me towards him, arms wrapped around my waist and our chests touching as he sped up through the water and broke through the surface. I gasp for air but I grin at Bucky, hands on his shoulders. As I work on evening my breath, I find my gaze dropping to his left arm.

“Bucky, what happened to your arm?” I ask quietly, and he sighs but Steve pops up behind him, a frown on his face.

“This jerk saved me from a giant octopus when we were younger. He was the prince and I was the son of his mother’s handmaiden. I was a stubborn idiot and when I heard that there was a giant octopus that had broken past the castle walls, I went to go fight it. Bucky followed me and pushed me out of the way when the octopus went to grab me, and he got grabbed instead.”

“Oh, Bucky” I murmur as I carefully trail my hand over his shoulder and along the scars, taking care to not let it hurt him.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt anymore” Bucky says softly, smiling fondly at my softness. “Plus, Steve paid me back by staying my friend and volunteering to be part of my guard along with Natasha. She’s one of our most fiercest warriors. You should see her in battle armour, she’s scary”

There was a quiet giggle from behind me and I twist around in Bucky’s arms and saw that Natasha had surfaced without making a sound, and I could definitely see her as a scary warrior mermaid.

“Come on, hold your breath” Bucky urges as he squeezes my hip gently, and I nod before holding me breath, Bucky grinning as he dived and pulled me down with him. We both swum down till we were swimming along the bottom of the lake, Bucky’s hand guiding me by the small of my back. And down here was more amazing creatures that glowed and squirmed in the water, getting pushed and pulled by the currents.

I was in such awe that that I momentarily forget I was submerged under the water so I open my mouth to exclaim in amazement. Of course, water rushed into my mouth and I impulsively inhaled, which made it worse, water rushing down into my lungs. I begin to flail in panic and I see a flash of Bucky’s concerned face before I feel myself rushing through the water and then I got pushed up onto the lake shore.

 

Bucky had pushed Y/n up onto the beach once he had noticed that she had started to swallow water, and he dragged himself up next to her, hands cupping Y/n’s face as she choked and her back arched as she spat water out of her mouth, turning her head to where Bucky was lying.

“Oh, dear Poseiden, what were you thinking, Y/n?” He said worriedly as he brushed her hair out of her face, and she groaned, a hand coming up to place her hand over Bucky’s that was cupping her jaw.

“Not my fault, it was pretty” She muttered and Bucky let out a tired chuckle.

“Just as stubborn as Steve” Bucky murmured fondly, and Y/n blinked her eyes and slipped her goggles off her face, looking bleary eyed at him.

“I saved you and you saved me. We’re even”

“Yeah, we’re even now. But I do want to come back and visit again. Are you feeling alright now?” Bucky asked worriedly, and Y/n nodded.

“Breathing air instead of water was a good choice” Y/n joked as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“That means I can do this then” Bucky tilted Y/n’s head up and carefully pressed his lips to Y/n’s. She melted into his touch and groaned softly against his lips. Bucky pulled back after a moment and smiled.

“You are beautiful, Y/n, the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. And I will come back tomorrow”

With that said, he slipped back into the water and waved goodbye before he dove into the waves and swam away, his bodyguards and friends shadowing him.

“See you soon, Bucky”


	3. Mystery deity

Bucky continued to come back to the lake beside Y/n’s house for months, at least three times a week, four times if Y/n was lucky. Sometimes it would only be a couple of minutes before Natasha and Steve caught up with him and escorted him back, and other times he would be able to stay for hours, bringing small gifts that were found at the bottom of the sea where he lived, such as rare sea flowers or sea creatures that seemed to be able to speak with him and swam around us in the lake and went with him when he left.

We grew closer the longer we spent together, chatting the hours away as he and I swum in the lake, sometimes playing a type of tag which Bucky would always win, and then I taught him how to play Marco Polo, to which Natasha and Steve would win. Again, the mer-people would win because they could detect the minutest ripple on the water’s surface or any change in the underwater current. Plus, their speed gave them an extreme advantage, which Bucky took use of by tackling me in the water and hugging me close to his body as he propelled us both through the water, careful to keep my head above water.

And due to the extended period of time, our friendship became something more, a sexual tension that wasn’t there when I first rescued him or when he came back a few days later (because we never actually addressed the fact that he kissed me. I don’t even know why, because it was one of the best kisses that I had ever gotten. Maybe it was because his bodyguards, Steve and Natasha, was watching him 24/7, making sure he stayed safe). There was lingering stares and touches, fondness in our eyes as we watched each other. With Bucky watching Y/n laughing as he pulled her along with him in the water, and Y/n watching Bucky as he twirled and propelled himself through the water, skin glowing with excitement and joy as he revelled in the touch of water against his skin and the power of his tail.

 

Bucky had never felt these types of feelings and emotions before, like the way his heart started to beat that little bit faster when he swam down the river and into the lake and saw Y/n waiting for him on the shore, her smile lighting up her face or the way the heat coiled and tightened in his stomach and the spark between them when their skin brushed against each other. But he already knew that he wanted to spend his life with her, and he desperately wanted to walk on land with her.

He kept these thoughts to himself, as humans – people with two legs – were seen as inferior to mer-people, because being a mer-person came with the perks of speed, strength, being able to mentally communicate with each other when under water and even living a twice as long-life span than a human, along with the ability to breathe air and breathe under water. So, if his parents found out he was even thinking about wanting to have two legs, he would be banned from visiting Y/n any more.

So, one night after a full day of being with Y/n – They had spent the day at the rock pools, and Bucky had carefully gotten a seahorse to wrap its tail around his finger, and he carefully transferred it to Y/n who giggled and grinned at the feeling and sight - , Bucky had snuck out through his window and swam away from the castle, avoiding the guards and heading towards a part of the ocean that his parents had forbidden him from going to, only giving him the reason that it was unsafe for anyone to go there, not just him. But he was heading there because he had overheard one of warriors whispering about an old rumour, something like a legend, of the goddess of the sea who was more powerful than his father who was the king of the ocean. The name of the goddess was Ursula, who was rumoured to have 8 octopus tentacles replacing the bottom half of her body, and that she could do pretty powerful magic. And, after some thought, Bucky decided that he wanted to go try and find her, because maybe she could use her magic to give him legs, or at least temporarily. 

He was swimming for a long time – the warriors had mentioned that Ursula was rumoured to live in the forbidden part of the ocean, but they didn’t mention where – before he sensed something following. His breath hitched and he swam faster, darting down towards the ocean floor, and when he spots a wrecked ship, he speeds towards it, swimming through an open doorway and hiding behind it. He peeked through a gap in the wood, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was following him. He held his breath, eyes focused as his tail slowly waved back and forth in an effort to keep him upright.

“What are you doing?”

Bucky yelps and whirls around, only to see Natasha and Steve floating in the water behind him, both figures with their arms crossed across their chests, matching frowns on their faces.

“Holy Poseidon! Why are you following me?”

“We’re your bodyguards, jerk, we’re here to protect you” Steve retorted, both figures following Bucky who swam past them and out of the wrecked ship, heading the way that he was heading before. “Bucky, why are you out here?”

Bucky ignores Steve’s question and keeps swimming but stops when Natasha speeds past him and stops in front of him, arms crossed over her chest. She raises an eyebrow and Bucky huffs.

“You’re gonna think I’m stupid”

“Come on, James” Natasha says softly, using his original name in an attempt to cajole an answer out of him. “We’re your friends, we are not going to judge you”

“I want two legs so I can visit Y/n on land” Bucky quickly mumbles, and both mer-people are silent for a moment before Steve laid a comforting hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“And your plan was to keep swimming until you found a pair of legs floating around?”

Bucky snorts and looks back at Steve, the gratitude showing on his face at Steve’s nonchalant reaction to his comment. He looks back at Natasha and sighs. “I overheard one of the warriors in the castle gossiping about an ancient legend called Ursula who apparently has powerful magic. I was hoping that she could give me legs, momentarily at least”

“And – she lives where?” Natasha’s voice was half teasing, half curious as she waved a hand around her, and Bucky frowned to himself.

“Uh-“

“Actually – “Steve cuts in with a thoughtful tone in his voice, and both Bucky and Natasha turn to look at him. “I think I know the right place for your mystery legend”  
“You do?”

“Yeah. When I was younger, I would go exploring – this was before the whole giant octopus thing, and I wandered into the forbidden part of the ocean quite frequently, anddd I found a ruined temple that was apparently dedicated to a magical ocean deity that had octopus tentacles for legs”

Bucky stared at Steve, then grinned as he swum up to him and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”


End file.
